Hand tools having variated working surfaces for shaping and spreading concrete, glue, or other viscous materials are common in the industry. However, there has been a recognized need, such as in the road paving industry, for providing screed plates with differing textures to the underside screed or working surface. These application, viscous, materials include various substances, such as grout for tiling, asphalt for a road surface, or landscaping material for a lawn. A need has been recognized in the industry for hand tools, such as a rake or trowel device that could lay material on a smoother grade without segregating it into constituent sizes, in a comfortable and an easy to operate design.
Additionally, it has been recognized that a variable or repetitive, wave-like pattern or other textured pattern or form to the underside, working surface, to the rake device is needed for varying application techniques and types of material to be applied to a surface. The closest technology found would be a typical asphalt rake/lute, or a landscaping rake, both of which lacking the ability to lay a significant amount of varied, viscous material in a homogeneous, non-segregated manner.
In the asphalt paving industry, the current standard in asphalt rakes are those made of aluminum or a combination of aluminum and magnesium. Because these metals have a high thermal conductivity, the rakes cool rapidly while raking the hot asphalt making the asphalt stick easier to the rake and the application of such material to a surface very difficult. A need for a device with a lower thermal conductivity is recognized for use with such material. As well, a need for a less conductive handle to such a device is desirable since the rake or trowel device is hand held when used.
The references described in the related art do not disclose features of the present invention and would not be as suitable for the required purpose of the present invention hereinafter described. Hand-held rake devices for spreading or applying materials are found in the related art, exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. D621,236 to Bahler et al. (collectively, “Bahler”), U.S. Pat. No. 7,281,878 to Schulz (“Schulz”), and U.S. Pat. No. 3,119,138 to Davis (“Davis”). Bahler discloses a dozer shaped screed design that is convex shaped face for applying material, facing forward from a user, and comprises four separate planar surfaces extending longitudinal, from end to end. Although Bahler discloses a face having a “dozer type” configuration formed by four distinctly angled surfaces, it does not disclose or teach the bottom portion, underside shoe or other elements of the present invention.
None of the references found today show hand tools having a working surface or underside shoe that is wave shaped or textured in cross section, having the height or amplitude of the working surface, underside shoe or trailing surface, and/or decreasing in size for the leading edge of the device to the trailing edge. Davis discloses a working surface that is uniform in size and shape, including a wave-like pattern; however, the shape. configuration of the “wave” in cross section, as well as the manner of operation, is dissimilar from the present invention. As well, the height or amplitude of the form in the prior art does not decrease in size from a leading edge to a trailing edge on the underside surface.
None of the prior art references found render the present invention obvious. The concave configuration or dozer arced face of the present invention comprising the front face, the textured or variable wave configuration provided on the bottom surface and the underside shoe are neither disclosed or suggest by the prior art. Although Schulz discloses using random spacing and depth of repeating v-shaped grooves, this reference does not suggest, teach or support modifying Davis or any other reference in a manner that would suggest a cresting wave pattern or other texture profile that decreases in depth or height (amplitude) for a leading edge to a trailing edge, or would otherwise function in the manner of the present invention.
None of the references in the prior art contain every feature of the present invention, and none of these references in combination disclose, suggest or teach every feature of the present invention. The present invention is neither disclosed nor suggested by the prior art.
The foregoing and other objectives, advantages, aspects, and features of the present invention will be more fully understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art upon consideration of the detailed description of a preferred embodiment, presented below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.